The Contender (2000)

76% of critics liked it
(129 reviews)
71% of users liked it
(7,515 ratings)

The hard-ball gamesmanship and casual character assassination of American politics sets the stage for this thriller from writer and director Rod Lurie. When the Vice President of the United States unexpectedly dies, all eyes in Washington D.C. are on President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) as he… More The hard-ball gamesmanship and casual character assassination of American politics sets the stage for this thriller from writer and director Rod Lurie. When the Vice President of the United States unexpectedly dies, all eyes in Washington D.C. are on President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) as he chooses a new VP. Sen. Jack Hathaway (William Petersen), a respected career politician enjoying a new swell of popularity after a well-publicized attempt to save a drowning woman, is expected to be Evans' choice, but instead he picks Sen. Laine Hanson (Joan Allen), a decision that raises eyebrows on both sides of the political fence. Veteran power broker Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman) is vehemently opposed to Hanson's appointment, in part because the Democratic senator was once a Republican, and vows to do everything in his power to prevent her from being confirmed. Runyon and his staff start digging for dirt on Hanson, and soon make a surprising discovery -- her personal morality is called into question when it's alleged that she took part in a group sexual liaison while she was a college student. The Contender also stars Mike Binder as one of Hanson's advisors, Mariel Hemingway as an old friend with a surprising secret, Christian Slater as an ambitious congressmen assisting Runyon, and Philip Baker Hall as Hanson's father; it was the second feature from former film critic Rod Lurie. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 6 min.
Directed By: Rod Lurie
Written By: Rod Lurie
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Oct 13, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Feb 27, 2001
Studio: Dreamworks

Critic Reviews

Jay Carr, Boston Globe
Wonderfully cast and slickly directed, but so crudely written as to make its espousing of progressive principles seem crassly exploitative to the point of self-parody.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
This is one of those rare movies where you leave the theater having been surprised and entertained, and then start arguing.
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A vivid, juicy, thoroughly entertaining movie.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
A near-perfect political drama for our time.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
An intelligent and informed look at the preposterous ways our leaders are often picked and sabotaged.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Thoughtful, enjoyable film for older teens.
Tony Macklin, Las Vegas CityLife
At their best, DVDs allow us to know films better and to consider provocative issues. At their worst, DVDs essentially are puffpieces. The Contender is one of the latter.
Christopher Smith, Bangor Daily News (Maine)
Sex, lies and politics--they all boil together beautifully in "The Contender," a strong political drama that understands Washington, knows its dirty secrets, and uses its excellent cast to fine effect.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Pretty much shameless leftist propaganda being sold as conventional Hollywood entertainment, but it manages to satisfy on the traditional genre terms.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
The Contender thumps its Democratic Bible hard enough to put Jonathan Edwards to shame.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Despite a few phony moments, the dialogue is sharp and the directing is immediate.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
When Republicans speak, it's a bitter voice we hear; when Democrats speak, the music swells proudly. There's not must to think about here. It's a personality contest.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Um drama político inteligente e ambicioso cuja única (e quase perdoável) falha é ceder a dois ou três clichês em seus minutos finais.
Harry Guerin, RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
Leave ten minutes early and you'll see the best White House film in years, stick around and get the big screen version of The West Wing. No contest really.
Karina Montgomery, Cinerina
About fairness,privacy,shrewdness in politics,witch hunts,dignity,pride, and service to one's country and sticking to your guns.
John R. McEwen, Film Quips Online
The Contender has renewed my faith that good movies can indeed be produced if enough care is given to the production. It's too bad so many of 2000's films have failed to do that.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Dan S

A decent, if very flawed and Hollywood-ized political thriller concerning the President (Jeff Bridges) having to fill the void of Vice President, and deciding between a very well-respected governor (William L. Peterson), and a woman senator (Joan Allen) with an apparent dark past.… More
A decent, if very flawed and Hollywood-ized political thriller concerning the President (Jeff Bridges) having to fill the void of Vice President, and deciding between a very well-respected governor (William L. Peterson), and a woman senator (Joan Allen) with an apparent dark past. This movie has all the ingredients to be a smash - Joan Allen at her finest, Jeff Bridges having fun as the President, Gary Oldman playing sleazy, heck even Sam Elliott is a key part of the whole thing, sadly the movie falls flat on its face at its ridiculously over-the-top finale that left me feeling betrayed. While it pulls some twists that are original and somewhat conceivable, the last 5 minutes of the movie turn this film from being a respectable political thriller into an okay but unsatisfying movie that decided to get too dramatic instead of sticking with the subtle but effective card it played so well for most of the story. Not horrible, but certainly skip-able.
Lorenzo v

"Sometimes you can assassinate a leader without firing a shot." Sexy secrets from a womans past come to light as she runs for Vice President. <center>"Sometimes you can assassinate a leader without firing a shot." Sexy secrets from a womans past come to light as she runs for Vice President. <center>REVIEW</center> Political imbroglio drama with a what if premise: What if the first nominee for Vice President of the United States had an indecent sexual past leading to her character in question vilification by the select committee in appointing her? Loaded with potboiler red herrings and questionable attacks on loyalty are just a few of the gaping holes in this heavy handed but extremely well acted morality play thanks largely to the always solid Allen as the stolid, uncompromising candidate in question who will not kowtow to the powers that be including the equally on target Oldman (in a Farrelly Brothers' inspired hairstyle) as her chief nemesis and Bridges as the folksy, yet smarter than he appears Commander in Chief.
Drew S

There are so many elements that could have made this a complete disaster, such as the hilariously bad ending, the movie's inability to hold its position on female sexuality, Christian Slater's lousy performance, and the need to put Gary Oldman in a shitty half-bald wig to… More
There are so many elements that could have made this a complete disaster, such as the hilariously bad ending, the movie's inability to hold its position on female sexuality, Christian Slater's lousy performance, and the need to put Gary Oldman in a shitty half-bald wig to emphasize that he's an evil slimeball, but Joan Allen's noble performance spares the affair. I believe that The Contender has good intentions, but like many other films of its kind, it does not trust the minority character it has empowered in the end. After the cards have fallen, Jeff Bridges gets the final word in the whole affair, which is really a shame since the movie is certainly not about him. It is reminiscent of Spencer Tracy's excruciating final monologue in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. It's a shame that the film passes him its final contention, because the rest of his performance is acerbic and thoughtful as one might come to expect from Bridges. Allen of course makes the film, playing a strikingly believable politician; mature, assertive without aggression, not flighty but not totally humorless. She takes the part and plays it with a total lack of histrionics, which creates an elegant contrast to the rabid media frenzy her past may have left in its wake. Unless you ain't down with the gangbangs, you leave the movie feeling like Allen is someone you'd really want as a politician, someone with her eye on what is really important. The problem lies primarily in the ending's treatment of her, but obviously I cannot discuss this without spoiling it. Simply, beatifying a character isn't necessarily the best way to exonerate them. I can't help but wonder if this was a studio concession, or a way to gloss over the audience's own squeamishness with Mrs. Hanson's dubious acts, but I do know that it feels cheap. Anyway, good concept, and nice attempt at an important gender parity story. It really does a lot to illuminate how venomous politics can be. It doesn't succeed in its primary goal, though it is a relatively entertaining political yarn with fine work from a majority of the cast. I don't really know if Rod Lurie got beneath the surface of the message he was sending, though. The movie retains exemplary control in every aspect but its ideology.
Film C

Not a bad movie really i love the storyline and cast and was really a good movie to watch and shows how sexism plays a part in politics and becoming an MP or president! really worth a watch!
Curtis L

An interesting film. It had congress hearings, Jeff Bridges bowling, and Gary Oldman with horrible baldness.
Jens S

Brilliantly acted political thriller about a vice president nomination causing power games within the US government. Full of great dialogues delivered by an outstanding cast. Especially Joan Allen and Gary Oldman (in great make up effects) give excellent performances while they throw… More
Brilliantly acted political thriller about a vice president nomination causing power games within the US government. Full of great dialogues delivered by an outstanding cast. Especially Joan Allen and Gary Oldman (in great make up effects) give excellent performances while they throw their lines at each other. While the two hours consist mostly of talking they pass by like nothing and the last 15 minutes come up with one or another pretty unexpected twist. An excellent statement about politics in today's USA. Intelligent, rewarding and important, especially in an election year.
Jason S

I'm not one for political flicks but I liked this one and thought that it was well cast.
Michael G

Not great, not bad.
Rico Z

An exhilerating thriller/drama with a knock-out performance by Joan Allen. This movie touches on many important societal issues, including the corruption that comes with power and the double-standards in society regarding gender. This is one of my favorite political thrillers ever… More
An exhilerating thriller/drama with a knock-out performance by Joan Allen. This movie touches on many important societal issues, including the corruption that comes with power and the double-standards in society regarding gender. This is one of my favorite political thrillers ever because it has a message and is executed very well-- and delivers all the goods. Definitely a must-see!
Alec B

Its a rather ballsy film about the double standards for women in politics and sexuality, and given the treatment of Hilary Clinton by the media in this past election it is probably more relevant than ever. Gary Oldman, Jeff Bridges, Sam Elliot, and Joan Allen are phenomenal in this… More
Its a rather ballsy film about the double standards for women in politics and sexuality, and given the treatment of Hilary Clinton by the media in this past election it is probably more relevant than ever. Gary Oldman, Jeff Bridges, Sam Elliot, and Joan Allen are phenomenal in this film. The committee scenes look and feel like the real thing and all of the back door politics are not over the top and are probably what really happens in Washington.
Brian R

Rod Lurie's "The Contender" is a well made political thriller that focuses on Rebulican turned Democrat Laine Hanson(Joan Allen) as the new appointed VP. Things strart to turn ugly for Hanson, a man named Shelly Runyon(Gary Oldman) does not feel Hanson should be up for… More
Rod Lurie's "The Contender" is a well made political thriller that focuses on Rebulican turned Democrat Laine Hanson(Joan Allen) as the new appointed VP. Things strart to turn ugly for Hanson, a man named Shelly Runyon(Gary Oldman) does not feel Hanson should be up for the job as the next Vice President. Runyon will find anything in his means to put an end to Hanson political career. Inside sources has managed to find explicit footage of Hanson engage in an sexual romp during her youthful college days(Uh-oh) which leads to a media-televised investigation. There is an intense meeting in The White House involving Democratic U.S. President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) and his right hand man Chief of Staff Kermit Newman(Sam Elliot)and Hanson. The two men want Hanson to confess but Allen is strong and would rather lose her VP nomination rather then making her personal private life anybody's business. Another great scene at the Presidential party, where you have all the characters finally meeting at the oval office. Jackson Evans puts all the pieces together all the pieces thanks to an impressive dossier by secret agent Special Agent Paige Willomina (Katheryn Morris). Lurie's film is one of those pictures that makes you want to debate and ask questions after. The dialogue is funny yet wicked. This is a really great film.
C.R. L

Some say when your in the public eye your no longer are entitled to your privacy that you must live a life that is essentially perfect and without scandal. this is especially true for politicians who have had more scandals under them than actors, lawyers and Presidents. So most… More
Some say when your in the public eye your no longer are entitled to your privacy that you must live a life that is essentially perfect and without scandal. this is especially true for politicians who have had more scandals under them than actors, lawyers and Presidents. So most politicians due what they must they hid the truth and lie about there past, they lie so they can do what they have always wanted to to do serve there Country. But some of them get lost along the way and lose sight of what they original got into politics for. So I ask you this what happens when you take a seemingly squeaky clean senator(Joan Allen), a contender for the vice presidency and dig into her past to uncover a shocking and lurid truth that will break the backs of the higher Archy of the nation's political system. You get what most would call the lying game Laine Hanson's(Joan Allen) case she takes on playing the solitary game a game few have ever won.
Leo L

Interesting.
Sunil J

Joan Allen is amazing in probably the only political thriller that I can watch over and over again. I love this movie.
Miriam K

One of the far better films of this decade...Superb acting, good plot and what so many people forget about these days in society...Personal Integrity.